State Senate Democratic Leadership Shake-Up?

Filed in Delaware by on November 18, 2010

At the end of fairly long & boring column complaining about Return Day security, Ron Williams posts this bit of gossip:

A change in Senate leadership?

It seems like we hear this every time a new Legislature is sworn in, but word is around that Senate President Pro Tem Tony DeLuca is going to be challenged for his leadership spot.

Sen. Karen Peterson’s name is the one most often bandied about, but there’s apparently some discontent with DeLuca on how he handled the Delaware State University scholarship legislation last term when all the skids were supposedly greased. DeLuca refused to bring it up, and a special session was needed to pass it.

What are people hearing? Are the Senate Democrats going to demote DeLuca? I would be really surprised but DeLuca did end up with a lot of egg on his face about the Delaware State scholarship program.

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Comments (7)

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  1. There are several items that never appeared on the Senate ‘must list’ and that has provided cover to DEMs. I have heard legis duck any blame under the flimsy excuse that the bill simply didn’t make it –through no fault of their own.

    With the fingers always pointing to DeLuca on why this or that legislation never got considered last year, is it any wonder why the pressure is on to make a change?

    It will be even more imperative for DEM leadership to be unimpeachably fair and public-minded. The budget will be a horrendous mess and most of the fallout will be on DEM Assembly members…..just because. No one thinks that tax increases won’t be a necessity in balancing the budget.

    By the way, I will be getting a front row seat throughout the year’s session because I have just been named the registered lobbyist for the Civic League for New Castle County~! I’ll be down in Dover for the whole shebang.

  2. Dana Garrett says:

    If there is any justice and sense in the universe, Karen Peterson would be named Pro Tem.

  3. RSmitty says:

    I am one (RINO-, Moderate, Commie-Lib, Tree-Hugging-, etc.-) Republican that would be ECSTATIC to see Sen. KP in the Pro Tem position!

  4. Joanne Christian says:

    Just don’t let DeLuca take all the heat–Patty Blevins needed her rest—and darn if you Dems didn’t send her back this year with a senate security blanket.

  5. JustTheFacts says:

    KP is our Bonini. I highly doubt she’d want to be in leadership. More importantly, I don’t think she’d be very effective. She appeals to certain segments of the population – ahem, the ones that read this blog – but otherwise, doesn’t have the mass appeal or name recognition that some here seem to have bizarre delusions about.

    I like her, I just don’t see this as a good fit or something that would ever happen.

  6. Karen was President of County Council. She is skilled as a cat-herder. Don’t know if she could garner the votes, but the sheer act of garnering them would prove her skill. The Del State thing isn’t the only thing causing concern from the caucus re DeLuca. Not sure how to say this, but he hasn’t necessarily been the most, um, discreet pol down there. They could well fear him being an albatross around their necks if he doesn’t straighten up.

    Karen is the anti-Bonini, not sure what analogy JTF was going for.

    She’d probably have to have a ‘team’, so it’d be interesting to see who her nominee for majority leader would be. Bushweller? That’s just a guess, I honestly don’t know.

    And, JC, while I agree with you on Blevins, you can’t replace somebody with nobody. And Cullis is a nobody. Don’t blame the D’s, blame the R’s for not finding someone credible.

  7. Tee hee, I had forgotten what I heard about DeLuca and his overdrive libido. ES, why aren’t you letting on more of the details like you did with Bennett? These sexual pecadillos do seem to be the only thing that brings a high and mighty pol to their knees in DE.